Tennessee GOP Becomes Their Worst Fear Of Government

Tennessee GOP Becomes Their Worst Fear Of Government

Nashville, February 22, 2016

Republicans used to believe in local control. For decades now, Republicans have railed against an overreaching, tyrannical federal government. Yet in Tennessee, where the Republican party has majorities in the House, Senate and hold the Governorship, they have become a the very thing they claim to fear the most, an overreaching government.

State Senator Jack Johnson’s bill to ban “Local Hire” in Nashville overturns the will of more than 56,000 Davidson County voters. Senator Johnson acknowledged this in a recent article in the Tennessean saying:

“Another issue that has been brought in opposition to my bill, which would nullify the charter amendment, is that we are overturning the will of the voters of Nashville,” he said. “In fact we are.” - Sen. Jack Johnson

Davidson County residents passed Amendment 3 to address the systemic poverty that persists amongst its people. The 2014 census reported that 19% of residents in Davidson County live in poverty. In Williamson County, where Senator Johnson lives, only 6% of residents are impoverished.

As Tennessee Republicans add to the growing list of local governance they seek to overturn today, perhaps we should remind them of how they feel about the federal government.

“We cannot allow Congress to trample on our state’s rights and the personal liberties guaranteed by our federal Constitution,” said Senator Johnson. “We must push back against this unprecedented abuse of power or there will be no limits on federal authority in the future.” - Senator Jack Johnson